‘...the end of the notion that a fair and principled and just body can govern cricket in the interests of all. It is an ideal, of course, that has never been grounded in any kind of reality under the guise of the ICC, but if you cannot be idealistic about sport, what can you be idealistic about?’ Atherton has questioned in his column for the ‘Times’.
Atherton gives some credence, if reluctantly, to the view that England and Australia feel they have no choice but to grant India power in a way that will encourage them to run the world game responsibly - and even suggests India has now been affected with the arrogance of old colonialism. ‘The tone of the proposal is so arrogant and high-handed as to recall an earlier age when the organisation began as the Imperial Cricket Conference,’ Atherton wrote.
Atherton was very critical of ICC’s governance. ‘No one doubts that the status quo, as far as the ICC is concerned, is unacceptable: two full-member countries are thought to be corrupt; four are essentially broke; most rely on India’s largesse to keep going, while the BCCI is disgruntled that the distribution of revenues does not reflect its provenance. ‘Politics, race and personalities interfere with decision-making at every turn. Incompetence is a given; at a recent ICC meeting, I was told of one director who took to snoring through an anti-corruption presentation.’
Atherton also said the recommendations of Woolf report to place power in the hands of an independent executive would have been the most idealistic solution.
Crowe opposes revamp plan
HAMILTON: Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe has joined the chorus calling for the withdrawal of the controversial proposal to revamp ICC piloted by India, England and Australia, despite his country’s Board’s support to the plan. Crowe has informed compatriot Alan Isaac, the ICC president, that he supported the letter sent by ex-ICC chief Ehsan Mani and other former top cricket administrators that the proposal should be withdrawn. ‘I endorse wholeheartedly the letter by Mr Ehsan Mani to the ICC regards their position paper,’ Crowe said in an e-mail to Issac, according to a media report. NZ Cricket chief executive David White and Board member Martin Snedden will attend the Dubai meeting before which the controversial ‘Position Paper’ is expected to be tabled later in the week.
Atherton gives some credence, if reluctantly, to the view that England and Australia feel they have no choice but to grant India power in a way that will encourage them to run the world game responsibly - and even suggests India has now been affected with the arrogance of old colonialism. ‘The tone of the proposal is so arrogant and high-handed as to recall an earlier age when the organisation began as the Imperial Cricket Conference,’ Atherton wrote.
Atherton was very critical of ICC’s governance. ‘No one doubts that the status quo, as far as the ICC is concerned, is unacceptable: two full-member countries are thought to be corrupt; four are essentially broke; most rely on India’s largesse to keep going, while the BCCI is disgruntled that the distribution of revenues does not reflect its provenance. ‘Politics, race and personalities interfere with decision-making at every turn. Incompetence is a given; at a recent ICC meeting, I was told of one director who took to snoring through an anti-corruption presentation.’
Atherton also said the recommendations of Woolf report to place power in the hands of an independent executive would have been the most idealistic solution.
Crowe opposes revamp plan
HAMILTON: Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe has joined the chorus calling for the withdrawal of the controversial proposal to revamp ICC piloted by India, England and Australia, despite his country’s Board’s support to the plan. Crowe has informed compatriot Alan Isaac, the ICC president, that he supported the letter sent by ex-ICC chief Ehsan Mani and other former top cricket administrators that the proposal should be withdrawn. ‘I endorse wholeheartedly the letter by Mr Ehsan Mani to the ICC regards their position paper,’ Crowe said in an e-mail to Issac, according to a media report. NZ Cricket chief executive David White and Board member Martin Snedden will attend the Dubai meeting before which the controversial ‘Position Paper’ is expected to be tabled later in the week.